Almanac

News - November 6, 2013

Election: Finance reports released for Menlo fire district race

by Sandy Brundage

Big money was not quite flying around in the final week before the Menlo Park Fire Protection District board election on Nov. 5, according to the latest round of campaign finance reports filed with the San Mateo County elections office. The reports cover campaign financial status through Oct. 19.

The candidates have divided themselves into two slates: Chuck Bernstein, former fire board director Peter Carpenter and incumbent Rex Ianson vs. Carolyn Clarke and incumbent Jack Nelson, the two candidates who have accepted labor union support in their campaigns.

Slate 1

Mr. Bernstein reported $10,170 in cash contributions (including a $9,000 loan to himself) and $651.90 in non-monetary donations from Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Ianson for items such as mailers and a campaign party.

Donors included Ed Moritz and Henry Riggs, at $100 each, and Mickie Winkler, who gave $150.

The largest expense for Mr. Bernstein has been $8,791.84 paid to Sacramento-based campaign consultant Nikki Wilson.

Mr. Carpenter's cash campaign contributions this year consist of a $10,000 loan to himself. He also received $1,113.32 in non-monetary donations from Mr. Bernstein for postage and related expenses, and it appears his own expenditures — $10,961.79 — have mainly gone to support Mr. Carpenter's fellow slate candidates.

Mr. Ianson, with $2,150 in cash donations — $150 from Mickie Winkler and the rest as a loan to himself <0x0214> has spent $454.20 at "Signs on the Cheap." His non-monetary expenditures went to support the other two candidates on the slate, providing voter lists and business cards.

Slate 2

Ms. Clarke's filings show $3,432 in cash contributions this year, including a $166.02 loan from herself. She's spent $2,384.08 during this reporting period, primarily on campaign literature. Donors included Aron Hall with $1,000; Greg Bock and Kiara Cannon with $500 and Tod Spieker with $500; and Menlo Park Councilman Rich Cline with $250.

Mr. Nelson's filings indicate $199 in cash contributions this year and a $6,650 loan to himself. He's spent $6,513.37 total, most of it during this reporting period, on campaign literature. His report listed no donors.

Union

MPF FLAG, the firefighters' union political committee, has spent the most to date, with $8,646 this year going toward campaign literature and phone calls on behalf of Ms. Clarke ($5,123) and Mr. Nelson ($3,239). At the close of the reporting period on Oct. 19, the committee still had a sizable war chest of $17,173.